Verizon Free International Texting- Experiences requested !

Hi All,
I had conversation ( via Chat ) with a Verizon rep today. Since I have a "More Everything" Family plan....I supposedly get free international texting, including both incoming and outgoing. So....I carefully worded my questions...the main one which was this..

" So...when me and my family get to Aruba, we turn our phones on...Go into settings, turn OFF Data and then do not make or take any calls while there..we can still not only text our friends and family back in the US but we can also text each other to keep in touch, meet up if we are separated....etc..etc.. "

The answer I got was .. YES !

Now....I am looking for anyone that has done this..or anyone that is going in the next few weeks who may have the same Verizon situation so they can validate this. If this is really true, it will save me having to buy sim cards, rent phones..etc... Which ...obviously means...more food and drink money...

Yes...technically Cindyo, you should turn off the data before you leave the US because once you turn on your phone...data will start to flow while you navigate to turn it off. I have bought the $25 global data before with Verizon..but if I can accomplish everything I need via text..and this is a new feature that Verizon is offering...I wanted to take advantage of it. I am just curious if anyone else has done it. I think they began offering it this year...or maybe back in Nov or Dec.

It sounds like you should be fine from what the rep told you. If you have a verizon wireless retail store nearby, you may just want to stop in there to verify. That could also help if you have to dispute any charges later because you will have face to face interaction. One thing to keep in mind is while texting pictures or even receiving them, you are also using data. They shouldn't go through if you have your data turned off though. The more everything plan is pretty new so I don't have any experience with it. I know on the share everything plan texts were 25 cents each to send and receive.

You may find you don't need to text like at home. We went round and round regarding the phone issue before our first trip to Aruba with the kids. Hubby and I had been going for years, but never took the kids until they were teenagers (we didn't feel our type of vacation included worrying about and chasing the kids around a pool and the sea; we could do that in the US).

Anyhow, prior to our first visit to Aruba with them, we kept trying to figure out how to keep in touch with each other and people at home without incurring huge phone bills.

When it came to the kids, we did things the old fashioned way, I guess. If we went separate ways, we set meeting places and times and made sure we knew where the others were going. We did most things together so there wasn't need to text. (Although, it would have been nice to text them when I got to Dunkin Donuts and there were out of the type of donuts they wanted.)

If they wanted to contact a friend back home, they/we simply used the wifi that can be found at many locations now and simply emailed or facebooked.

I have read about many apps that provide free texting, but if your service provider is doing that for you, how nice that is.

Hi All,
I had conversation ( via Chat ) with a Verizon rep today. Since I have a "More Everything" Family plan....I supposedly get free international texting, including both incoming and outgoing. So....I carefully worded my questions...the main one which was this..

" So...when me and my family get to Aruba, we turn our phones on...Go into settings, turn OFF Data and then do not make or take any calls while there..we can still not only text our friends and family back in the US but we can also text each other to keep in touch, meet up if we are separated....etc..etc.. "
The answer I got was .. YES !

Now....I am looking for anyone that has done this..or anyone that is going in the next few weeks who may have the same Verizon situation so they can validate this. If this is really true, it will save me having to buy sim cards, rent phones..etc... Which ...obviously means...more food and drink money...

Thanks!
Bradrobster

Even though you worded your question carefully to Verizon chat, they gave you the wrong info. It shows on Verizon website. http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/..._tnt=55694:2:0 that texting is free FROM the U.S. to International countries; it is NOT free from International countries to the U.S.

The $25.00 data plan you had in the past was for logging on to the internet for e-mail, maps, social media; but it was not for texting. Texting with Verizon without WI-FI is .50 cents for outgoing texts and .05 cents for incoming texts. For free texts and going on the internet you have to be on Wi-Fi. Either you buy a Wi-Fi package from where you are staying (unless they have free Wi-Fi) or get MIO. With MIO you can be almost anywhere on the island and get on the internet, email and I-message with I-phone.

If you need to make phone calls to the U.S. download the Magic Jack app. The phone call is free. You need to be on WI-FI to make the call.

Even though you worded your question carefully to Verizon chat, they gave you the wrong info. It shows on Verizon website. http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/..._tnt=55694:2:0 that texting is free FROM the U.S. to International countries; it is NOT free from International countries to the U.S.

The $25.00 data plan you had in the past was for logging on to the internet for e-mail, maps, social media; but it was not for texting. Texting with Verizon without WI-FI is .50 cents for outgoing texts and .05 cents for incoming texts. For free texts and going on the internet you have to be on Wi-Fi. Either you buy a Wi-Fi package from where you are staying (unless they have free Wi-Fi) or get MIO. With MIO you can be almost anywhere on the island and get on the internet, email and I-message with I-phone.

If you need to make phone calls to the U.S. download the Magic Jack app. The phone call is free. You need to be on WI-FI to make the call.

Thanks Liz....so your understanding is that all inocoming texts from the US will be oK....but outgoing from Aruba should only be done via WIFI....which should be doable while we are on the Marriott Property or other WIFI hotspots. ...

Did you keep the transcript from your chat session? If so you could always try a few texts from Aruba, checking your account online and if you are charged you can dispute the charges with the transcript as support.